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Month: April 2016

I was nominated by Marc Alexander Valle at https://mavtheauthor.wordpress.com for this quotation challenge. Thank you, Marc for this honor and challenge! If any of you have not visited his blog, please drop in and read the work of a talented writer. This is day 2 of the challenge.

“Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check. But that is not what I have found. I have found that it is the small everyday deeds of everyday folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.”

J.R.R. Tolkien The Hobbit

The Rules:

1.) Either once a day for three days, post a quotation, or post all 3 quotations at one time. It is your choice.

2.) Nominate and notify three other bloggers of the challenge.

3.) Thank the blogger who nominated you.

The nominees are under no obligation to complete this challenge, but it would be fun if you do.

I was nominated by Marc Alexander Valle at https://mavtheauthor.wordpress.com for this quotation challenge. Thank you, Marc for this honor and challenge! If any of you have not visited his blog, please drop in and read the work of a talented writer.

My quotation of the day!

“A room without books is like a body without a soul.”

Cicero

The Rules:

1.) Either once a day for three days, post a quotation, or post all 3 quotations at one time. It is your choice.

2.) Nominate and notify three other bloggers of the challenge.

3.) Thank the blogger who nominated you.

The nominees are under no obligation to complete this challenge, but it would be fun if you do.

I had the good fortune this week of delivering a talk at the Muhlenberg College Board of Associates Meeting on the topic of Great Books. I spoke with the audience for about 20-25 minutes about what I consider to be great books and why they matter. The main argument I made about the importance of books is that they connect us as people. I am an unreserved humanist; I believe that human beings have the power to improve themselves, that education is crucial to develop of an informed society, and that books allow readers to experience the worlds of others.

The audience was one of professionals from many fields but very few English Literature majors; however, their interest in reading and books was heartening for me. They wanted to hear suggestions about what books I would recommend.

Promote LITERACY! Promote READING to CHILDREN! Promote GIVING CHILDREN EVERY ADVANTAGE in LIFE from the GET-GO! If these statements have you shouting YES! YES! YES!, then you will want to take part in National Get Caught Reading Month, May 2016. This was the brainchild of Pat Schroeder, the former congresswoman, and President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Association of Publishers (AAP) back in 1999, when the initiative was launched.

Everyone from authors to publishers, celebrities to teachers and schools to libraries are heavily vested in this endeavor as roles models for not only children but people everywhere. It has been proven that the earlier in a child’s life they are exposed to reading, the better that child will do in school. All things being equal there can be no guarantees but giving a child the advantage of the interaction with books, stimulates…

I thought I would reblog some of my early posts for followers who have not seen them. I conduct a once a month meeting of the Grounds For Thought Literary Group at the Taylor Roasted Coffeehouse in Northampton, PA. This began in the summer of 2014, and we are still meeting!

Approximately, once a month, a group of like-minded people, interested in reading and writing, gathers at the Taylor Roasted Coffeehouse in Northampton, PA. This establishment is a perfect locale for our meetings; it has a welcoming atmosphere, with examples of drawings and paintings adorning the walls, musical instruments on display, and bookshelves with volumes for sharing and reading. I love coffee, and I love coffee shops and have been in many in a myriad of places during my life, and I say without any reservations, that this is the best and my favorite coffee shop. The owner John Weber roasts his coffee beans, and the result is the best coffee I have ever tasted. Jackie Livermon is the manager and keeps the place humming. These two lovely people, both of whom I now consider myself fortunate to call friends, have given this small town a wonderful place to gather and…